Combination lock



July 27,1937. LRGKETNER 2,087,914

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Nov. 15, 1935 3 Sheets- Sheet 1 Fig.1. .20 Fig.3.

. I Inventor Lou/s flUl. GEO/76 KETNER July 27, 1937. P. G. KETNERCOMBINATION LOCK Filed Nov. 15, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2' Fig.6.

Fig.7

hzlzr /3 4 2 Inventor Lou/s PHUL GEORGE KE TNEH B W 2 n 2 2 July 27,1937. L. P. G. KETNER 2,087,914

' -}COMBINATION LOCK Filed Nov. 15, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet s Lou/s PHUL.6509s KETNER 'WFW/gf rk Patented July 27, 1937 Application November 15,1935, Serial No. 49,890 In Denmark July 13, 1935 i 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in combination locks ofthe kind in which a number of locking members, shaped as cylinders,balls or other suitable shape, and, prior to the lock being opened, havebeen moved by adjustable units,

the adjustment of which must be previously known by the person openingthe lock.

The distinguishing-feature of the present invention consists mainly inthat the units, which serve to move the locking members in theirbearings, when it is attempted after such adjustment to approach thesaid units to the locking members or, vice versa, for the purpose ofmoving the locking members in their bearings and to open the lock, areblocked and held in their position during the further motion of the lockparts, no matter whether the adjustment of the units serving to move thelocking members in their bearings be correct or not. By this blocking ofthe adjustable units the advantage is attained in that the lock isrendered insensitive, i. e. that it will be impossible, during themotion of the parts, when it is attempted to open the lock, to feel whatadjustable units are actuating the corresponding locking members andwhat units are not doing so.

The invention relates further to various details of the lock, such asthe connection between the locking members and the latch bolt proper ofthe lock, and arrangements causing the blocking of the adjustable units,the displacement of the locking members and the opening of the lock tobe effected by the manipulation of one and the same handle or key.

The lock may be used as a bicycle lock as well as for locking of doors,closets, drawers and the like.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which embodytwo constructions of a lock used as a bicycle lock,

Figure 1 showing a lock viewed from the rear with the rearmost coverplate of the lock casing removed,

Figure 2 a section along the line IIII in Figure 1,

Figure 3 a section along the line III-III in Figure 1,

Figure 4 a detail of the lock, in top view,

Figure 5 the same in rear elevation,

Figure 6 another construction of the lock, viewed from behind, in thelocked position,

Figure 7 the same in open position with a cover plate removed containinga spring case, and

Figure 8 a section along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a detached perspective of two assembled-rails and relatedparts.

Figure 10 is a perspective View of a detached blocking member.

Figure 11 is an elevation of a blocking member shown in assembledrelation with reference to the rails illustrated in Figure 9, and shownalso in Figures 1 and 3.

Figure 12 is a broken perspective view illustrating the cooperating endsof a latch bolt and locking bolt.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of certain of the operating parts of themechanism shown in Figures 6 to 8.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of part of the lock operating mechanismillustrated in Figures 6 to 8, and viewed from the right hand side ofFigure 8.

Figure 15 is a perspective View of a detached plate forming part of themechanism of the second modification of the invention, and

Figure 16 is a sectional view of a bicycle lock, partly in section, thelatch of which may be controlled by the mechanism of either form of thecombination lock illustrated in the preceding figures.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, l is a U-shaped rail, supportingspring-loaded locking members 3 in holes 2, which rail, when the lockingmembers are raised somewhat against the spring pressure, 0

slides in its longitudinal direction in another U- shaped rail 4, thelower flange of which is fitted with holes corresponding to the holes 2for the locking members 3, which project into these holes when the lockis in its locking position, as shown in the drawings. The rail 4 canslide in the vertical direction of the lock in a couple of incisions 5on two side members i fixed in the lock casing, and during such motionthe rail 6 will take along the rail 5 which, as mentioned above, is soguided in the rail 4 that it can slide sideways therein, but on thecontrary will be prevented from sliding in the vertical direction of thelock. In Figs. 9 and 11, the rail i is shown as provided with lugs lawhich project into elongated slots to of the rail '3, which enable therail l to move longitudinally but not vertically with respect to rail4-. One of the lugs to may be connected to a spring a: Which tends tomove the rail l to the right as viewed in Fig. 11.

The rail 4 also supports, besides the rail I, a blocking device 8 for anumber of slidingunits or keys 9 hereafter referred to. The blockingdevice is shown in detached relation in Fig. 10. In the constructiondescribed, the blocking device is formed as a plate extending throughoutthe entire width of the lock and guided on the rail 2 by a lug 3a or thelike which projects into a recess 3b in the rail (see Figs. 9 and 11) sothat it can be raised slightly against the pressure from a V- shapedspring it, in such a. manner that the rail 5, when lowered, will carrythe plate 8 along, but only until this plate meets a resistance, afterwhich the rail is lowered against the pressure from the spring IE3,while the plate 8 is maintained in position. If desired, the blockingplate 8 may have end projections or ears 80 as shown in Figs. 2 and 11,which are guided in slots 81) in side pieces '5. In the lock casing B, aplurality of sliding units or keys 9 are provided, one below eachlocking member, each unit 9 being fitted with a tooth H and a fingergrip i2. When the units a, by means of the finger grips l2, are movedinto position all the teeth ll come opposite the corresponding lockingmembers, and the teeth II will move the said members in their bearings,when the keys 9 andthe rail #3 supporting the rail l with the lockingmembers 3 are moved towards one another. .In the drawings six keys areshown, but may of course be varied as desired, and the teeth ii aredisplaced relatively to one another on their keys so that apredetermined number of the teeth ll, when these keys are moved to theirnormal position, i. e. the position in which all the finger grips 12 areon a straight line, must be moved in order that all the teeth llprovided on the keys 9 come opposite their corresponding locking members3.

The keys 9 are fitted, at the bottom, with notches or incisions it, thesides of which co-operate with inclined edges i on a rail it adapted toslide in the lateral direction of the lock.

The sliding keys 9 are further fitted with notch- 7 es or incisions it,the number of which is the same for all the keys, and corresponds to thenumber of positions the keys occupy when all the teeth It are oppositethe locking members. Three positions are provided for the keys, as shownby Figure 3, and consequently each key is fitted with three incisionsit. These incisions co-operate with the plate-shaped blocking device 8,and serve thereby to maintain the sliding keys in the pcsition giventhem when an attempt is made to open the lock.

Between the side pieces 1 a rail l! is provided in which a cam disc 68is journalled, which can be rotated by means of a handle or a key E9.The disc l8 co-operates with the top'surface of the rail 4- in such amanner that by a rotation of the handle or key it in the directionindicated by the arrow 2% in Figure 1, the said disc will depress thisrail against the pressure of the springs Z, (see Fig. l), which areadapted to constantly maintain the rail i pressed against the lower edgeof the disc l8, and also with a lug 2! on a. locking bolt 22, which isadapted to slide in the vertical direction of the lock, and is depressedby a spring, such as a spring 25 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 disposed betweenthe hook 2l of the latch bolt 22 and the adjacent upper flange of thecasing cover 6w whereby the hook 2i is constantly pressed against thetop edge of the disc It. If desired, the spring Y shown in Figure 9 maybe substituted for springs Z, illustrated in Fig. l. The locking bolt 22is fitted, at the bottom, with a lug 23 cooperating with a lug or thelike on a latch bolt 24 of the lock (See Fig. 12) In the construction ofthe lock shown in the drawings, this lug is formed by one side of aflange or bend on the latch bolt, and the other side of this bendco-operates with a lug 25 on a rail 26 adapted to slide in the lateraldirection of the lock and pulled towards the left side of the look bymeans of a, spring 21 (see Fig. 5).

The rail 26 is connected, by means of a spring 28, to the notched railH5, in such a manner that the rail 26, when movedtothe right against theresistance from the spring 2'! will take the notched rail [5 along,although this rail can constantly be pushed to the left against theresistance from the spring 28.

The lock operates in the following manner:

When the lock is closed, the parts are occupying the positions shown inFigures 1 to 5, and the keys standing opposite the notches in the railIS, the said rail being moved out to its extreme position, to the righton the drawings, by the latch bolt 2d, the lug 25, the rail 26 and thespring 28. The keys are now moved into the positions desired.Subsequently, the handle or the key I9 is turned in the directionindicated by the arrow 26, whereby the rail 4 with the rail I and theblocking device 8 are moved downward, and the blocking plate 3 will thenmove down into one set of the notches H6 in the keys i2 and block thesekeys. If the key 19 is turned further, the rail 4 will be moved towardsthe teeth H, and if the keys have been adjusted properly so that all theteeth are opposite the locking members, then the teeth I i will lift thesaid members up from their holes in the rail 4, and consequently therail I Will then be moved in this position. The disc is circular on partof its upper edge corresponding to this rotation, in such a manner thatthe lug 2| will not yet be actuated. But owing to the further shape ofthe disc, the further rotation of the disc against the pressure from thespring 2| causes the lug 2i and, consequently, the locking bolt 22 to belifted, and an oblique edge 30 of an incision 29' provided in thelocking bolt 22 will actuate; a lug 31 provided on the rail l and movethe latter, in such a manner that the looking bolt can be raised to anextent that the lug 23 atthe bottom of the bolt will become free of thelatch bolt 2% of the lock, and by the action of a spring (not shown) thelatch will be withdrawn in known manner, and thereby the lock will beopened. At the same time, the lug 25 on the rail 26 will be releasedfrom the latch bolt,

and by means of the spring 21 the rail 26 will be withdrawn, 1. e.towards the left on the drawings, and will take the notched rail l5along, the oblique edges M of the latter co-ope-rating with the edges iton the keys 9 and returning the said keys to their normal position, andmaintaining them in this position, until the lock is closed again. Aslong as the lock is open, the bolt 22 will be resting on the latch boltunder pressure exerted by the spring 2 l mentioned above. The lock isclosed in known manner by moving the latch bolt forward by means of ahandle 24a (see Fig. 16) or the like provided on the latch bolt. Thelatch bolt is moved forward to an extent that the'above mentioned bendor flange on the latch has reached beyond the bolt 22, the lug 23 ofwhich will then engage the rear side of the bend and maintain the. latchin position until the lock is opened again.

If the keys are not adjusted correctly, and when it is attempted to openthe lock, the blocking device 8 will engage the notches, but a furtherrotation of the handle or key will merely have the effect that the teethon the incorrectly adjusted'keys will press against the bottomsid'e ofthe rail 4, and the blocking of the keys will 'render it impossible tofeel what keys have their teeth. ll standing opposite the correspondinglocln'ng members, and what keys have their teeth ll resting on the rail4.

The lock may be assembled in various manners. In the above describedconstruction shown in Figures 1 to 5, the above mentioned parts, exceptthe lock casing 6, are assembled and .then held together by means of twopairs of pins or split pins 32 and 33, the rail I! being fitted at theends with lugs 34 adapted to be inserted through corresponding holesatthe top of the side pieces 1, and with holes corresponding to the, parts32, in which holes the said parts can be fastened. At the bottom thelock may be assembled in similarmanner, an assembling rail 36 beingprovided between the lower parts of the side pieces 'land fitted withlugs corresponding to the lugs 34 and passing through correspondingholes in the bottom part of the side pieces and being fitted with holesfor the pins or'split pins 33. After the parts have been brought intotheir proper mutual positions, the pins or split pins 32 and 33 areplaced in their holes in the lugs 34 and 35, respectively, and the partsthus assembled are then pressed down into a hollow portion So of thelock casing 6, which for this reason is divided into a hollow portion 6aand a cover 6b; which latter after the lock parts have been insertedinto the hollow portion is attached thereto by means of screws or thelike provided at suitable points, and serves to fix the parts in thelock casing by fitting tightly about'the same by means of guide stripsor guide lugs.

As shown in Figure 3,therail 33 may be made U-shaped, and may serve toguide the sliding rail 26. The flange of the latter in this case isfitted with an incision 31 for the lug 25 provided on the rail 26 andprojecting out through the said incision. The sliding notched rail I5may similarly be guided in a U-shaped rail 38, the upper flange of whichhas incisions for the lugs l3.

s The lock may be built in the so-called Meccano style, in such a mannerthat a set of coordinate parts can be bought and assembled by the buyerso as to form difierent locks, the latter being varied by an interchangeof the parts 9, as any combination of these parts will correspond to anew look.

Figures 6 to 8 show a modified construction of the lock described above.In this construction, a rail 56 does not support the locking membersbut, on the contrary a rail 59corresponding to rail 4 encloses the rail56 and is adapted to slide in the lateral direction of the lock. Therail 56 has not a U-shaped but a quadratic or rectangular cross-section.The rail 59 is fitted with holes 51 for the locking-members 58, shapedas balls, which by springs 60 are pressed up against the central bars ofa grid forming in this construction of the lock, the blocking device 8'for the sliding keys 9a, the locking members 58 projecting throughholes, corresponding to the holes 2, in the rail 59 which in thisconstruction of the lock is adapted to slide in the lateral direction ofthe lock. Likewise as in the construction described in connection withFigures 1 to 5, the keys 9a are fitted with teeth Ila co-operat1ng withthe locking members 58. The rail 56 as well as the bars forming the gridconstituting the blocking device 8' are disposed as fixed connectinglinks between two rails 39 adapted to slide in the vertical direction ofthe look, so that at the bottom they connect these rails, which at thetop are connected'by a plate 40 and are lifted,

while taking along the rails 56 and 59, by the ro tation of a cam disc4| corresponding to the disc I8 and co-operating with a lug 42 providedon the plate 49.

By means of a lug 43, disposed on the plate 40 and adapted to slide in aslot 44 in the bolt 22a, and a lug 45 provided on the bolt and adaptedto slide in a slot 46 in the plate 40, the plate 49 and the bolt 22a areguided relatively to one another in such a manner that the plate 40,from the position shown in Figures '7 and 8 in which the lock is closed,can slide downwardly against the pressure from a spring 47 providedbetween the lugs 43 .and 45. At their upper side, the, keys 9a arefitted with projecting parts 48 which have oblique parts 49 co-operatingwith the plate 49, so that the said keys, when the plate 49 is moved tothe bottom of the space formed between the oblique edges 49, will moveall the keys into the normal position, i. e. the position in which thehandles of all the keys are standing in line. The plate 40 is movedfurther from this position by a rotation of the disc 4| in the directionof the arrow a, efiected by means of the handle or the key I9, the saiddisc 41 being fitted with an incision, the outer edge 50 of which,during the rotation of the disc in this direction, co-operates with thelug 42 provided on the plate 49 and moves the plate 49 downwardly in thevertical direction of the lock, whereby the said plate, as mentionedabove, returns to normal position any keys 9a which might have beendisplaced by an unauthorized person attempting to open thelock.

By devices not shown on the drawings and not forming any part of theinvention, the bolt 22a is connected in such a manner to the latch thatwhen the lock is closed, it will be in its uppermost position, as shownin Figures 7 and 8, but when the lock is open it will be lowered intothe position shown in Figure 6 and, during this lowering will havecarried along the plate 40, which con- I sequently rests on the bottomof the notch formed by the oblique notches 49. Y

As mentioned at the beginning of the description of this secondconstruction of the lock, the blocking device 8' for the sliding keys 9ais shaped as a grid consisting of rods disposed between the two rails 39which are free to slide in the vertical direction of the look. When thegrid is moved up towards the keys, or vice versa, the teeth Ila will beforced into the spaces between the grid bars, in such a manner that thelatter will take hold of the teeth, thereby preventing the keys 911being displaced.

The rail 59 is connected, in suitable manner, to the bolt 2200 or to thelatch of the lock so that the vertical motion of thebolt or,respectively, the motion of the latch from the closed to the openposition of the lock will be prevented as long as the rail 59 is notdisplaced from the position shown in Figure '7. This displacement iseffected by an oblique edge 5! on a rail 52 adapted to slide in thevertical direction of the lock and fitted with a lug 53, which by therotation of the key [9 in the direction indicated by the arrow 1)-through an arm 54, is moved downward and by simultaneously lowering therail 52 the oblique edge will actuate a lug 55 (see Fig. 14) provided onthe rail 59, whereby the rail 59 is moved side.- ways (to the right inFigure 7), which motion releases the latch which now, while actuated bya spring or in some other suitable manner, is moved into such a positionthat the lock is opened.

This arrangement acts in the following manner:

By the rotation of the key I9 in the direction indicated by the arrow0., the keys 9a. are moved into normal position. Then the keys arepushed into the positions desired, and the lock is opened by a rotationof the handle or key IS in the direction given by the arrow b. By thisrotation of the handle or key I9, the periphery of the disc 41 willactuate the lug 42 provided on the plate 40 so as to lift the plate 40and consequently the rails 39, whereby the grid 8 as well as the rail 56with the locking members 58 and the rail 59 will be moved upward towardsthe keys. During the lifting of the grid, the keys 9ozv will first be.

blocked, in that the teeth I la enter into the spaces between the gridbars, and during the continued lifting the teeth Hal situated above thelocking members 58 will cause the locking members situated below toslide vertically in their bearings. If

the keys So have not been properly adjusted, the

locking'members will be displaced, and conse-' quently the rail 59cannot slide in the horizontal direction. Owing to the keys 9a blockingthe grid 8 it will be impossible to ascertain by feeling what keys arestriking the locking members, and what keys are free. If all the keysare properly adjusted, all the locking members will be moved downwardand, consequently, the rail 52 when depressed by the arm 54, during thefurther rotation of the key, will be able to move the rail 59, and thelock will thereby be opened.

It appears from the above that in both constructions of the block ablocking of the keys will at once be effected when it is attempted toopen the look after an adjustment of the keys, and only after the keyshave been blocked in the positions given to them will the lockingmembers and keys come into contact with one another, so that it will beimpossible to feel What key teeth are in contact with the lockingmembers, and what are free.

The construction of the lock may be varied in different ways, withoutdeviation from the principle underlying the invention, which principleis that the units causing the displacement of the locking members shouldbe blocked, so that they are held in the position given them, duringthis displacement, and maybe before the same takes place.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, means comprising aplurality of movable locking members for retaining the bolt normally inlooking position, mechanism for moving said locking members to boltreleasing position comprising a plurality of members, and blocking meanscooperating with said adjustable members for retaining the latter inpreviously adjusted position during the operation of said mechanism.

2. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, means comprising aplurality of movable looking members for retaining the bolt normally ina locking position, mechanism for moving said individually manuallyadjustable locking members to bolt releasing position com-- prisingaplurality of individually manually ad-' justable members, and blockingmeans cooperat-,

ing with said adjustable members, and arranged for operation by saidmechanism for retaining the latter in previously adjusted positionduring the operation of said mechanism.

3. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, means comprising aplurality of movable looking members for retaining the bolt normally inlocking position, mechanism for moving said locking members to boltreleasing position comprising a plurality of individually manuallyadjustable members, and blocking means cooperating with said adjustablemembers and arranged for operation by said mechanism during the initialportion of the operation thereof for retaining the latter in previouslyadjusted position during the operation of said mechanism.

4. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, I

means comprising a. plurality of movable locking members comprisingspring pressed pins for retaining the bolt normally in looking position,mechanism for moving said locking members to bolt releasing positioncomprising a plurality of individually manually adjustable members, andblocking means cooperating with said adjustable members for retainingthe latter in previously adjusted position during the operation of saidmechanism.

5. A combination lock comprising a lock bolt, means comprising aplurality of movable looking members comprising spring pressed balls forretaining the bolt normally in locking position, mechanism for movingsaid locking members to 'bolt releasing position comprising a pluralityof individually manually adjustable members, and blocking meanscooperating with said adjustable members for retaining the latter inpreviously adjusted position during the operation of said mechanismn 6.A combination lock having a casing, a manually movable cam membertherein, a reciprocable lock member actuatable by said cam in onedirection to unlocking position, a transversely disposed rail movable bysaid cam in the opposite direction, a plurality of locking memberscarried by said rail, a laterally shiftable rail carried by said firstrail and normally retained against relative shifting movement by saidlocking members, .means carried by said second mentioned rail forobstructing movement of said loo-k member to unlocking position, aplurality of manually adjustable members adapted to be adjusted inpredetermined positions and arranged when in such positions to cooperatewith said locking members during movement of said first rail to releasesaid second rail to en-- LOUIS PAUL GEORG KETNER.

